Litigation Lawyers in St. Joseph

Commercial Litigation in St. Joseph, Illinois is civil litigation that arises out of a business transaction, or some other conflict between two businesses, or between a business and a customer. It can appear out of nowhere, and arise out of almost any business matter.

Commercial litigation in St. Joseph, Illinois is often very complicated and expensive, and while it often involves two businesses in a legal dispute, it can also come up between ordinary individuals, who never thought they'd get involved in St. Joseph, Illinois commercial litigation.

Common Sources of Commercial Litigation in St. Joseph, Illinois

Commercial Leases: Most businesses in St. Joseph, Illinois operate from a single physical location, despite the rise of the Internet and e-commerce. These locations are often in rented space, which is typically more cost-effective than purchasing real estate just for the purpose of operating a business. These rental arrangements are laid out in documents called "commercial leases." Like every other contract, these leases are occasionally broken. If the parties cannot resolve the ensuing dispute amongst themselves, they might have to resort to commercial litigation.

Sales of Real Estate: Buying office space, a home, or an empty plot of land in St. Joseph, Illinois is not a simple process, and something can go wrong at any step along the way. For example, there might be a title defect, or some type of physical flaw on the property, and the seller fails to disclose it to the buyer, this will almost definitely lead to the buyer demanding payment, in the form of a full or partial refund, from the seller. If no agreement can be reached, commercial litigation is the possible result.

Sale of Goods: Buying and selling personal property is far more typical than buying and selling real estate in St. Joseph, Illinois. Consequently, it's also more common for commercial litigation to arise out of disagreements concerning the sale or purchase of goods, as opposed to land. Some common problems that can come up in the sale of goods are a seller's failure to deliver the right product on time, or the buyer failing to pay the price that they agreed on. Most of the time, reasonable, professional people can settle these disagreements amongst themselves. However, in fairly rare cases, they have to resort to commercial litigation when a negotiated settlement is unrealistic.

Business Loans: Starting a business in St. Joseph, Illinois, or anywhere else, is costly. Typically, when somebody starts a business, they have to take out a loan from a bank. However, if the lender engages in some type of improper activity (such as trying to collect payment in a manner not permitted in the loan agreement), or the borrower doesn't make the payments on time, commercial litigation is likely to result.

Breach of Contract: In St. Joseph, Illinois, contract law is simple in principle: when someone agrees to exchange value for value (a product in exchange for money, for instance), they have entered into a contract, which is a legally-binding agreement. A contract requires at least two parties, and if either of them fails to do what is required of them under the arrangement, they are said to be in "breach" of the contract. If they do not remedy the situation, or the other party does not waive the requirement, a conflict is likely, which might lead to commercial litigation.

How Can a St. Joseph, Illinois Commercial Litigation Lawyer Help?

If you run a business in St. Joseph, Illinois, it should be clear by now that commercial litigation can arise in many different cases, possibly when you least expect it. For that reason, it's a good idea to have plans in place to deal with commercial litigation concerns, should they come up.

A commercial litigation attorney in St. Joseph, Illinois can be very advantageous in that regard. Your lawyer can advise you of your legal commitments, as well as your legal rights. Knowing what is required of you, and the individuals you deal with in a commercial context, is the best thing you can do to avoid commercial litigation, and to succeed in a dispute, should one occur.